Red
by Boohbear19
Summary: The night Cloud comes back home from defeating Sephiroth, Tifa is dieing to tell him how she feels. Will she tell him or keep it locked inside for the rest of her life? CloTi one-shot, please R&R! :)


**A/N:I was watching Advent Children while I was doing my homework today and thought I should write a quick CloTi one-shot!Hope you all like! This takes place right after Advent Children! No flames please :) And the words in Italics are flash backs and thoughts! Rated K+ for fluff! :D **

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square Enix.**

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_He came back. _

Tifa said mentally to herself for the hundredth time that night as she lay wide awake in her double bed. As much as she tried, she just couldn't get Cloud off her mind. It was the same exact problem that she had when he had left once he discovered that he had Geostigma.

But now, Geostigma was gone. Along with Sephiroth's remnants and Sephiroth himself. The planet has returned back to its typical self.

Tifa sighed softly to herself before she slowly turned onto her left side to gaze out her bedroom window that she would always leave open. Not just to stare out into the stary night sky's above Midgar before she fell asleep but for Cloud. Whenever he was out with deliveries on Fenrir, Tifa would always wait up for him.

She would not fall asleep until she heard Cloud kill the engine of his large motocycle in the garage below her, or hear the sound of him coming up the stairs with his heavy boots that always tracked mud and dirt on the floor that would drive Tifa nuts. But she knew that Cloud was to exaughsted by the time he got back home to Seventh Heaven to remove his boots by the door.

Tifa smiled warmly to herself as she started to think more of the spiky-blonde headed EX-SOLDIER.

His bright makeo blue eyes that she could swim into forever. His pale skin with a great amount of muscle that rippled along his arms, chest and torso.

Tifa has seen Cloud shirtless once. Earlier that day actually...

_Cloud was in the garage working on Fenrir while Tifa came down to do a load of laundry. As she started to empty the clothes into the washer she couldn'r help glancing over at Cloud every five seconds. Oh how much she missed him. It made her heart fill with complete bliss now that he is back home to stay, just as he promised. _

_Tifa watched the EX-SOLDIER as he continued to repair his bike, tiny beads of sweat forming onto his temples and on the top of his four could feel herself blushing when she noticed the pink tint in Cloud's cheeks from his hard work in such a hot room, even some strands of his spiky blonde hair were matted or sticking to the base of his neck. _

_Not only was it a long day, but a hot one too. Tifa was suprised that Cloud would go to the a hundred and two degree garage of Seventh Heaven to work on his bike instead of resting up. Well, Cloud is Cloud. She had thought to herself before bringing her gaze back to the washer machine, however it wasn't long until she looked back over at Cloud and nearly gasped at the sight of him slowly pulling his poldren and sleevless blue sweater off. _

_Exposing his bare, bold, and muscular chest and torso. A half of Tifa was glad that she got to see Cloud shirtless but the other half wished that she didn't because now she could not take her eyes off of Cloud, and thats when he noticed her staring at him._

_"Tifa? What is it?" Cloud asked her, he seemed __bewildered_ and slight oblivious of Tifa's presence. He always enjoyed Tifa's company even if he didn't always show it. It just suprised him that he hadn't noticed or heard her walk in the room. 

_Tifa blinked rapidly before bringing her eyes back to the bucket of clothes in her hands. Realizing that some has fallen OUT of the bucket, since she was absently tipping it forwards as she eyed Cloud. _

_"Uh...D-doing the laundry!" Tifa replied sheepishly, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks as she started to furiously and swiftly shove all the clothes into the washer causing Cloud to raise an eyebrow. _

_"Why the rush?" _

_"I-I'll see you at dinner, Cloud! Don't be to hot!" Tifa replied, feeling her heart leap into her throat once she realized what she had just said. Cloud stared at her flatly before giveing her an acute smirk before he went back to working on Fenrir. _

Tifa felt herself blushing as she buried her face into her pillow, wishing more then anything that it was Cloud's broad and muscular chest. Why couldn't she tell him how she felt?He felt the same, according to their friends, Barret, Cid, and Yuffie...but Tifa knew she couldn't really trust those three.

_But...the way he held me back in Arieth's church...And I could feel him looking down at me while I rested when Reno and Rude brought us back to Seventh Heaven from Arieth's church. _

Tifa thought to herself as she turned back over to her right side, her long chocolate brown hair spilled over her pillow and seemed to have a silky shine from the moonlight, along with her milky white skin.

_And when he stayed their with me in the children's bedroom, waiting patiently until I woke up, and how I was the first one he made eye contact with after the girl with the Moogle plushie welcomed him back._

Tifa sighed, kicking the covers off of her slim body and getting up to a sitting position, her long hair fell to the small of her back.

_I have to tell him. He has to feel somthing...I know he does. _

Tifa said to herself mentally before bringing her feet down onto the cold hard wood floors causing her to shiver from the contact.

_How could such a hot day turn into such a cold night?_

Tifa thought to herself before she pulled her red nightie back down to its orginal place to her mid thighs since it was starting to hitch up her long slender legs from laying in bed.

The raven-haired martial artist slowly tip toed down the hallway being as quite as she could not to wake up the sleeping children that were asleep in her bedroom that was right next to hers. Tifa slowly opened their door to find Marlene and Denzel sleeping peacefully, looking like big lumps from under the covers. Their soft breathing and faint sounds of cars outside was the only noise coming from their room.

Tifa smiled sweetly to herself before shuting their bedroom door quietly behind her.

_Now to check on mr Chocobo head..._

Tifa said to herself mentally as she slowly started down the other end of the hall, were Cloud always sleep in his office. He had a tiny single bed and his desk where all of his notes, maps,folders, photos, and work felt her heartbeat starting to increase as she slowly turned the knob on the door to Cloud's office.

Was he still awake? Was he going to reject her when she told him?

Tifa swallowed hard from the thought of Cloud not wanting her like that. But somehow, her doubts slowly faded away when she saw him sleeping peacefully and angelike in his bed. His soft, deep, and hallow breathing filled her heart with complete warmth and bliss as she slowly walked over to sit down on the edge of his bed besides him.

his long blonde lashes fluttered slightly in his sleep. The moonlight that spilled threw his tiny window glowed down onto Cloud's ivory colored skin, making him look almost like a God and bringing out his freckles that were sprinkled on his nose and around and underneath his eyes.

Tifa smiled warmly down at the EX-SOLDIER before she absentmindedly ran her fingers threw his hair. He was just so beautiful. Even when he slept. He looked like an innocent and soft little kid in his sleep.

Tifa gasped softly and quickly jerked her hand out from his hair once she felt him shift in his sleep, expecting him to wake up and ask her what ws she doing in his office at this time of night, But to her suprise Cloud grabbed her wrist with one of his strong and warm hands to pull her down and closer to him.

"Tifa..." He whispered drowsliy, his warm soft lips grazed her earlobe tenderly as he spoke her name.

Tifa gasped again, as she felt his storng arms slowly wrap around her to pull her closer into his chest. He was bare chested and warm, Tifa couldn't help sighing from the contact.

"C-Cloud?" Tifa whispered, feeling her heart racing inside of her chest. She hope that Cloud couldn't feel it against his arm as he held her close to him.

"Tifa..." Cloud repeated before slowly nuzzling his face into her neck,and to touch it with his lips in a tender kiss after causing Tifa to gasp once again.

"C-Cloud...I...I...you..." Tifa started to ramble, she couldn't think straight. Cloud Strife, her childhood friend that turned into her crush and then finally, to her true love, was holding her close to him and for no reason.

Cloud hushed her softly before bringing his lips to touch the corner of her mouth.

"Don't be afraid, I love you too.I alway's have. No women in Gaia could make me feel the way that you do. I'm so sorry it took me this long..." Cloud whispered as he held her close to him and gently combed his fingers threw her long soft hair.

This was too good to be true.

_I must be dreaming! _

Tifa thought to herself as she slowly brought her honey brown eyes up to meet Cloud's ocean blue one's that seemed to shimmer.

"How did you know?" She whispered causing him to smirk slightly before leaning in to descend his lips onto her's causing her to gasp softly, but quickly returned the warm and passonite kiss, allowing her eyelids to droop close to savor the blissful and romantic moment.

The kiss lasted forever but at the same time, it ended so soon.

"Because..." Cloud panted softly, greedly sucking in the air that his lungs have lacked from his first kiss with Tifa, but for her, _anything_ was worth it. He would just never forgive himself for not telling her how he felt sooner.

_Better late then ever. _Cloud thought to himself as Tifa stared up at him, her beautiful almond shaped eyes shone brightly, expressing her love for him.

"Because...I saw the way you were looking at me today..." He replied before he gently ran his thumb across her smooth rosey red lips, he couldn't help smiling when she saw a tint of blush rose from Tifa's cheeks. "And because of how much you care for me, and never give up...thats also one of the reasons I love about you."

"I somehow knew as well." Tifa replied. " You care for me just as much as I care for you...you just need to start noticing more Chocobo head!" Tifa said with a giggle before kissing Cloud's collar bone causing him to sigh softly, he hasn't been this happy for a long long girl he's been in love with since he was a child was finally his and he was finally her's.

"Cloud, I love you..." Tifa whispered as she used his chest for a pillow, feeling herself start to slip out from consciousness as she listend to the sound of his strong heartbeat.

Cloud pulled her closed to him and brought his lips to her ear.

"I love you, Tifa. Escpecially in red."


End file.
